Tag Archives: Sports

Culture & Sports: “The Adidas Archive” – 100 Years Of “Three-Stripe Thrills” (Taschen, May 2020)

100 years ago the brothers Adolf (“Adi”) and Rudolf Dassler made their first pair of sports shoes. Hundreds of groundbreaking designs, epic moments, and star-studded collabs later, this book presents the first visual review of the adidas shoe through more than 350 models including never-before-seen prototypes and one-of-a-kind originals.

To further develop and tailor his products to athletes’ specific needs, Dassler asked them to return their worn footwear when no longer needed, with all the shoes eventually ending up in his attic (to this day, many athletes return their shoes to adidas, often as a The Adidas Archive Taschen May 2020thank you after winning a title or breaking a world record). This collection now makes up the “adidas archive”, one of the largest, if not the largest archive of any sports goods manufacturer in the world—which photographers Christian Habermeier and Sebastian Jäger have been visually documenting in extreme detail for years.

Shot using the highest reproduction techniques, these images reveal the fine details as much as the stains, the tears, the repair tape, the grass smudges, the faded autographs. It’s all here, unmanipulated and captured in extremely high resolution—and with it comes to light the personal stories of each individual wearer. We encounter the shoes worn by West Germany’s football team during its “miraculous” 1954 World Cup win and those worn by Kathrine Switzer when she ran the Boston Marathon in 1967, before women were officially allowed to compete; custom models for stars from Madonna to Lionel Messi; collabs with the likes of Kanye WestPharrell WilliamsRaf SimonsStella McCartneyParley for the Oceans or Yohji Yamamoto; as well as the brand’s trailblazing techniques and materials, like its pioneering use of plastic waste that is intercepted from beaches and coastal communities.

The Adidas Archive Three-Stripe Thrills Taschen March 2020

Accompanied by a foreword by designer Jacques Chassaing and expert texts, each picture tells us the why and the how, but also conveys the driving force behind adidas. What we discover goes beyond mere design; in the end, these are just shoes, worn out by their users who have loved them—but they are also first-hand witnesses of our sports, design, and culture history, from the beginnings of the Dassler brothers and the founding of adidas until today.

Concept and photography by

Christian Habermeier has been working as a photographer and designer since 1989. He taught communication design and has taught photography and digital illustration from 2000 to 2006. His own projects span from Cuba, Kenya, Nepal, India, Switzerland, to Hong Kong. In 2000 he founded studio waldeck photographers and was able to realize his long cherished vision of a CO2-neutral studio in 2013.

Sebastian Jäger studied design at the Georg-Simon-Ohm University of Applied Sciences in Nuremberg, focusing on moving images and photography, where he met former lecturer Christian Habermeier in 2005. Their joint company studio waldeck photographers serves customers from industry and the cultural sector. Since 2011, they have been creating a visual record of the holdings of the historical adidas archive.

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Auto Racing Nostalgia: “Targa Florio” Endurance Race In Sicily (1906 – 1977)

1951 Targa Florio PosterThe Targa Florio was an open road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily near the island’s capital of Palermo. Founded in 1906, it was the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 and 1973. While the first races consisted of a whole tour of the island, the track length in the race’s last decades was limited to the 72 kilometres (45 mi) of the Circuito Piccolo delle Madonie, which was lapped 11 times.

After 1973, it was a national sports car event until it was discontinued in 1977 due to safety concerns. It has since been run as a rallying event, and is part of the Italian Rally Championship.

1967 Targa Florio PosterThe race was created in 1906 by the wealthy pioneer race driver and automobile enthusiast, Vincenzo Florio, who had started the Coppa Florio race in BresciaLombardy in 1900. The Targa also claimed to be a worldly event not to be missed. Renowned artists, such as Alexandre Charpentier and Leonardo Bistolfi, were commissioned to design medals. A magazine was initiated, Rapiditas, which aimed to enhance, with graphic and photographic reproductions of the race, the myth of the car and the typical character of modern life, speed.[1]

1973 Targa Florio PosterOne of the toughest competitions in Europe, the first Targa Florio covered 3 laps equalling 277 miles (446 km) through multiple hairpin curves on treacherous mountain roads, at heights where severe changes in climate frequently occurred. Alessandro Cagno won the inaugural 1906 race in nine hours, averaging 30 miles per hour (50 km/h).

By the mid-1920s, the Targa Florio had become one of Europe’s most important races, as neither the 24 Hours of Le Mans nor the Mille Miglia had been established yet. Grand Prix races were still isolated events, not a series like today’s F1.

After winning the race several times, Porsche named the hardtop convertible version of the 911 after the Targa. The name targa means plaque or plate, see targa top.

From Wikipedia

Travel & Sports: “Madman Trails Of Bhutan” – Short Film By Scott Secco (2020)

Director/Cinematographer/Editor: Scott Secco

The kingdom of Bhutan — wedged like a hanging Garden of Babylon in the mighty eastern Himalayas — is the new frontier in the world of Enduro mountain biking. The arrival of the sport has been late but timely, as it enables riders to traverse the numerous ancient trails that make up an intricate web of pathways and dirt paths that dot and connect the kingdom’s diverse twenty districts, providing a backdrop for a ride in what is easily one of the world’s most pristine landscapes.

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New Documentaries: “Ali & Cavett: The Tale Of The Tapes” On HBO (Trailer)

Eye-opening documentary explores the life of boxing legend Muhammad Ali through the lens of his many appearances on Dick Cavett’s iconic, long-running talk show. Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes premieres Feb. 11 at 9pm on HBO.

Cycling: “Mark Gunter Photographer Of The Year Awards 2019” Winners

Mark Gunter 2019 Photographer of the Year 1st Prize Alex Broadway UK Tour De Yorkshire

Mark Gunter 2019 Photographer of the Year 6th Place Tomas Montes Pan Celtic Race

We’ve once again been privileged to experience so many amazing images in the 2019 Mark Gunter Photographer of the Year Awards, there were so many epic images entered – in all three categories. The final week was a last minute rush with hundred of images flooding in; you can see some of these images in Showcase Five.

Our judges this year – Simon WilkinsonChris Auld, and Pauline Ballet and our honorary Judge Graham Watson – definitely had a tough task on their hands to decide the winners amongst a field of high quality work. Thank you to our Judges for your expertise and you time – it’s been a pleasure.

The Judges poured through 1,200 images.  They first had to select the images – without knowing the who the photographer was – then narrowed down a shortlist for each category. Then collectively they chose the winning images. Read about their experiences in their Shortlists.

We are proud to showcase the winners here, their images, and the story behind their image and for everyone who made the top 10 in each category.

Website

New Travel & Sport Videos: “Saisons” In Massif Central Of France (Hugo Manhes)

Written and directed by: Hugo Manhes and MadCow

Saisons Travel & Sport Short Film by Hugo Manhes January 2020‘SAISONS’ is a tribute to the grandiose and mystical landscapes of the Massif Central, an immaculate place located in the middle of France. From winter to spring, from summer to autumn, athletes practice their own disciplines in a wild and singular environment. Whether it’s on snow, land, water or in the air, they do it without any concession, in a full commitment.

SKIER: Gaëtan Carlier
VTT: Arthur Parret / Paul Couderc
WAKEBOARD: Maxime Roux
PARAPENTE: Romain Montimart

VFX by: Fabien Feintrenie and Jean-François Fontaine
ORIGINAL MUSIC BY: Erik Groysman
‘WAITING FOR A SIGN’ (Scratch Massive AND Koudlam)
SOUND DESIGNERS: Zane Wood and Shea Webster
RE-RECORDING MIXER: Juan Carlos J. Torres

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Boomers Sports Radio: Alex Rodriguez Discusses Major League Baseball With Colin Cowherd

Audio clip from The Herd with Colin Cowherd:

Alex Rodriguez on The HerdAlex Rodriguez discusses Major League Baseball with host Colin Cowherd on Fox Sports Radio on July 8, 2019. Topics include: Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox, Phillies, Angels, Baseball in London and player contracts.

Click on play button below to hear: